Science education has long used hands-on physical models to help students visualise how various systems work, especially if they are large scale systems such as the Solar System, or small scale systems such as atoms and molecules. The most popular atomic models used in helping students understand the formation of molecules from atoms are called ball-and-stick models. This system comprises spherically shaped balls which are connected by a plurality of separate flexible plastic connectors. The plastic connectors have lugs at each end, and fit into indents located on the surface of the atom model balls, the number of which equals the number of chemical bonds that particular atom type makes
There are a number of problems associated with these current ball-and-stick type classroom models. Firstly, physical forcing of lugs into indents is slow and not pedagogically engaging. Secondly, pushing lugs into indents involves contact forces, whereas the forces involved in chemical bond formation involve electrical forces which are forces-at-a-distance. Thirdly, the energy relationships for bond breaking and bond formation is misleading, as the physical forcing required to make bonds with plastic models gives students the mistaken impression that bond formation requires energy; that is, bond formation is a forced process and therefore endothermic. Fourthly, the physical forcing of the bond formation is time-consuming and misrepresents the speed at which real bonds are formed. Fifthly, separate and loose connecting connectors gives students the impression that chemical bonds are extraneous objects used to form bonds, whereas they involve bonding electron pairs that originate within the bonding atoms themselves, usually with one bonding electron donated by each atom.
The other less popular atomic models are called space-filling models. This system comprises rigid spherically shaped balls, with the spheres possess cutout quadrants or semihemispheres that enable them to overlap and interlock to represent overlapping electrons to form bonds. Unfortunately, these models visually mask the chemical bonds between the atoms and make it difficult to see which is the original bonding electron-donor atom. Further, the shape of the non-bonded atom models is incorrectly identical to the bonded atom model sections, because the models are rigid. Finally, the inflexibility of the rigid atom models means that differently shaped atom models of the same atom type are required for use in molecules when forming single, double and triple bonds.
The present invention uses magnets instead of physical forcing thus overcoming most of the problems of the ball-and-stick models, for, like electric forces, magnetic forces are forces-at-a-distance. The forces exert instantly, spontaneous, and correctly represent the energy relationships of bond formation in which it is spontaneous and releases energy; that is, real bond formation is exothermic.
The present invention solves the limitations of the ball-and-stick system by attaching orientable magnetic assemblies onto the tips of filaments attached to each atom models, instead of physically joining the atom models with separate loose static connectors. The main problem that is solved in creating this invention is that a particular magnetic pole will only attract to opposite poles of other magnets attached to the tips of other filaments belonging to other atom models. If all exposed poles on the tips of the filaments were selected to be north, then all filament tips would repel each other; if all were chosen to be south, then all filament tips would also repel; if filaments were mixed with both north and south poles, then some combinations of filament tips would attract (north-south and south-north) whereas others would repel (north-north and south-south). No combination of such uni-polar magnetic assemblies can produce filament tips that will universally attract to all other filament tips, which is a requirement to accurately reflect chemical bond formation.
By attaching an orientable magnets onto the filament tips, they will be universally attracted to any other orientable magnets irrespective of the orientation of either. This is because the novel multi-polar design, along with the orientable housing, will always allow the magnetic assemblies to rotate into an orientation that will cause attractive forces between them to prevail. The north pole of one magnet pair will align with the south pole of a second magnet pair, and conversely the south pole of the first magnet pair will align with the north pole of the second magnet pair. One or both magnetic assemblies will rotate until this alignment occurs spontaneously. This means that every bond will attract every other bond, which accurately reflects chemical bonds behaviour. The construction issues involved in delicate magnetic strength-to-model-weight ratio, as well as attachment issues to lightweight atom model materials have also been overcome by the careful selection of construction materials.
A further advancement by this invention over ball-and-stick models is the replacement of loose connectors with permanently attached filament extensions to atom-models. This means that the relationship between the bonding atom and the bonding electron, and the fact that the bonding electron is an internal part of the bonding atoms, and that each atom contributes a bonding electron, are more correctly represented. Further again, because the filaments are firmly attached to the atom-models, they are not lost during classroom activities, which is a practical advantage.
Finally, manipulation of magnetically attracted atom-models to form a multitude of possible molecular outcomes is much more fun than sticking the atom-models together with static plastic connectors. Students only need to wave the filament tips near each other, and they spontaneously stick together. This is due to the speed and force-at-a-distance characteristics of the orientable magnetic assemblies. The invention provides not only are more accurate picture of how atoms bond to each other, but it does so in a way that is much more fun, and therefore educationally effective.